If you’re in Paris sometime between September 18th and October 3rd, you can bop by the Arc de Triomphe for Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s covering of it. {L’Arc de Triomphe wrapped, Paris (1961-2021)}
Check out my photos below.
I just knew I was going to hate it. All the photos or drawings I saw made this enormous magical monument look like it was wearing a gigantic diaper. Even when I got there, I was like, “m’ouais…” (as they say in French.) In other words, ookkkkkkaaayyy….
But when I started looking at it from different angles, it’s REALLY well done. I mean, it’s EXTRA stunning. Époustouflant, is the word they use in French…which is my absolute favorite word.
I should mention that I just happened to be there on a day when there was no traffic on the Champs-Élysées so I was out in the middle of the street on my knees having fun with my iPhone 12pro.
The top terrace is still available to the public and it’s 16€ to go up. Too pricey for me, so I didn’t.
If you go, and you speak French, don’t bother to talk to the friendly “greeters” they have in place; because they only speak English, apparently. Ask them to explain something to your French husband and they can’t do it! They were handing out little swatches of the material used for the exhibition so it is worth it to approach someone wearing a blue vest to get a souvenir.
If you’re hesitating to go, don’t. Your Instagram account will thank you for it!
If you’re wondering who’s paying for this project, they will tell you it’s being entirely funded by the artist and all the materials are recyclable.
